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he could be like our percy harvin. he can line up at WR and RB. kill two birds with one stone with that pick (WR depth and fast receiving rb)

I had Tavon Austin in my mock draft too....until we found out Ace Sanders (from So. Carolina) was coming out. I think he will be a great KR/PR and cheaper to get (a 3rd round pick as opposed to 2nd round).

Why does everyone wanna trade down? Im scared to pick outside of the top ten.. Mayhews picks outside of the top 5 have all been questioned

We want to trade down because we have a lot of holes to fill with little money. We need more draft picks probably just to fill our roster. Plus there is not really a can't miss star available at five. There is talent yes but I would rather draft 8-10 guys and have five or so pan out than have six and the top pick potentially bust with only a couple working out. And I honestly think most people are undervaluing our pick. That first and third could net us two firsts, two seconds, and a fourth. Atlanta had to give up a lot for Julio Jones and a team will want our pick and we will be looking for something similar.

Mobile, Ala. - Ezekial "Ziggy" Ansah is the most intriguing prospect at the Senior Bowl.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound defensive end from BYU, who is getting his degree in statistics and wants to work in insurance when his playing days are done, has been playing football for only three years.

Ansah's drawn Jason Pierre-Paul comparisons due to his raw athleticism. He ran a 10.91 in the 100-meter dash after walking onto the BYU track team and 21.89 seconds in the 200 meters.

That's ridiculous athleticism in a frame that big - but it comes with a catch. Ansah is extremely raw and simply hasn't played a lot of football.

Before arriving in the United States in 2008 from his native Ghana to attend BYU, Ansah had never seen a football. He didn't start playing the game at BYU until 2010.

"I started learning in 2010 but I really played just this last year, so I still feel like I have a whole bunch of stuff to learn and I've been praying that I'll be able to get everything right and just go from there," he said after practice Monday.

"I have to learn a few techniques and pad level and (get my) shoulder down and a bunch of stuff. Every single day I have to keep learning."

Most talent evaluators predict Ansah will be drafted somewhere in the first round, but that's a calculated risk for whichever team decides to write that name down on the card on draft night, especially if it's those teams selecting early in the night.

NFL.com's Josh Norris predicted the Detroit Lions would be that team with the No. 5 pick in his first mock draft of the season.

"This might appear to be a bit early now, but if Ansah puts together a solid week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., he will certainly carry that momentum into the NFL Scouting Combine," Norris wrote. "Ansah is not raw, he is inexperienced - and there is a big difference."

It looked more on the raw side while Lions defensive line coach Kris Kocurek was putting him through drills down at the Senior Bowl. The athleticism jumps out, but his leverage and footwork isn't quite there at times and he doesn't look as polished as some of the other defensive end prospects.

During a team period toward the end of practice, though, Ansah's athleticism shined.

He chased down a reverse to the opposite side of the field from where he was lined up and then batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage a few plays later.

Ansah is certainly a prospect for Lions fans to keep an eye on as the evaluation process continues this week, at next week's combine and then at his pro day in the coming months.

VERSATILE BACKS

Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters after the season that he's on the lookout for a running back with speed and versatility in case Jahvid Best doesn't return in 2013.

Monday at the Senior Bowl, new Lions running backs coach and run game coordinator Curtis Modkins got a firsthand look at a couple speed backs in Clemson's Andre Ellington and Florida's Mike Gillislee.

The Lions are not only looking for a back with speed, but one who can catch the ball out of the backfield and cause some matchup problems in their pass game.

Ellington said that was the first thing Modkins said to him when they got to practice.

"They wanted to see me catch the ball," Ellington said. "They want to see me catch more passes from routes.

"I didn't do a lot of it in college. It's not that I couldn't do it; it's just how the offense was run. (The Lions) running back coach is telling me to 'be faster, be faster' and it shows me a lot that he's into what I'm doing."

Ellington rushed for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Clemson the past two seasons, and averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry, but caught just 36 total passes the last two years.

Gillislee had just 145 carries at Florida his first three seasons, but carried it 244 times this past year for 1,152 yards and 10 touchdowns. Like Ellington, though, he has to prove he can catch the ball out of the backfield and be a threat as a receiver to truly fit into the Lions' plans.

Gillislee had just 16 receptions last year and 23 for his entire career.

When asked what he hopes to show Detroit Lions coaches this week, Gillislee said:

"Being a complete back, catching out of the backfield and picking up pass protection and running downhill."

THE OBSERVATION DECK

• Of the nine defensive backs on the South team, only two (Leon McFadden of San Diego State and B.W. Webb of William & Mary) measure under 6-foot tall. That's great for the Lions, who are looking to getting bigger and more durable in the secondary.

McFadden, despite his stature, was impressive at practice Monday and showed good man-to-man skills. He had one of the more impressive plays of the day, too, with a one-handed interception in one-on-one drills with the receivers.

Keep an eye on the progress of Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo, too. He had some character issues in college but looked impressive as a safety prospect on Monday.

• LSU reserve defensive end Lavar Edwards didn't get the headlines this season playing behind Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery, but he stood out Monday in individual drills and team periods.

He showed great discipline staying home on a reverse and never seemed to get sucked down the line of scrimmage of play action. He also showed great closing speed on the quarterback.

At 6-foot-5, 258 pounds, he fits the profile for what the Detroit Lions like in their defensive ends.

I had Tavon Austin in my mock draft too....until we found out Ace Sanders (from So. Carolina) was coming out. I think he will be a great KR/PR and cheaper to get (a 3rd round pick as opposed to 2nd round).

If they spend a 3rd OR 2nd on a WR/RB - AGAIN - I will seriously throw something at my TV.

If they spend a 3rd OR 2nd on a WR/RB - AGAIN - I will seriously throw something at my TV.

Why? It's clear we need another speed threat out of the backfield with Best not returning. I wouldn't mind Gillisee or Ellington in the 3rd round

Originally Posted by cwick925

the more the days go by the more i feel he is our pick @ 5

I don't know. I think that Mayhew is going to play it safe and I don't think he's a safe pick, though he could turn out to be great. I still think they'll take Werner, Milliner or Joeckel/Moore. That appeases the fan base and are also safer picks, I believe.

I was listening to the radio (96.1) and they were talking about how DET could potentially pick up several key draft picks with what may happen with the moving around of QBs prior to the draft. I really hadn't considered it but here is basically what was said:

The argument was that if PHI and KC can find a QB prior to the draft, there could be a HUGE demand in which team would want to draft in front of the other in picks 6-9. They predicted that Alex Smith would most likely be traded to an AFC team; KC being a perfect destination with a high 2nd round pick as compensation to SF along with Matt Cassel moving to SF in the deal to serve in the backup role.

It was also stated that JAX would be a great fit for Vick as JAX doesn't want to completely give up on Gabbart this early and would be foolish to spend another top 10 pick on a QB two seasons later.

If KC or PHI ends up trading for Alex Smith, and if Vick stays in PHI or goes to JAX, DET could pick up multiple 2nd or 3rd round picks and still draft in the top 10.

Thought I would share........as I think this would work out great for us.